to scoff at s/o
to laugh at s/o
TRANSLATION
to scoff at = höhnen / spotten über, sich verächtlich äußern über, jdn. verspotten, sich über jdn./etw. lustig machen — to scoff at everything = auf der Bank der Spötter sitzen ——— ALSO: to scoff sth. [Br.] [coll.] [eat sth. quickly and greedily] = etw. verschlingen [etw. hastig und gierig essen], etw. hinunterschlingen, sich den Bauch mit etw. vollschlagen, in sich hineinstopfen
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
“Even when others SCOFFED at the idea of a flying machine, the Wright brothers refused to give up, until they made history at Kitty Hawk with the world’s first successful airplane flight.”
The Wright Brothers, by Quentin Reynolds
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“Robert Gordon of Northwestern University scoffed at recent technological contributions, noting that none was nearly as important to human welfare as the humble toilet.”
The Economist
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THE LAST LAUGH
Top entertainer Tommy Cooper was often SCOFFED at during his childhood. However, he had the last laugh during his retirement speech:
“At school they all laughed at me when I said I wanted to become a successful commedian,… they’re not laughing now!”
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“He who laughs last, laughs loudest” (proverb)
Did you
know?
scoff
verb
- to laugh and speak about a person or idea in a way, which shows that you think they are stupid or ridiculous
- to eat something quickly and eagerly
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
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WORD ORIGIN
Scoff probably stems from a from a Scandinavian source such as the Old Norse “skaup or skop,” meaning mockery, or from the Middle Danish skof, “jest, mockery.”
Scoff implies a bit of arrogance on the part of the person who is “scoffing”. The person (or idea) being scoffed at is put on a lower level because they are believed to be, as the Cambridge dictionary puts it, stupid. But in fairness this adjective is not always appropriate.
For instance, many people would credit Hollywood actress Shirley MacLaine very highly (remember “The Apartment” with Jack Lemmon?). On the other hand, her interest in paranormal phenomena has made many people scoff at her.
MacLaine has produced several best-selling books on paranormal experiences, alternative dimensions, and her past lives. She claims to have spent time with her dog Terry in ancient Egypt, observed UFOs in Peru, and made contact with aliens in China. The popularity of these books would indicate that not everyone is scoffing.
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SYNONYMS
belittle, deride, dig at, disbelieve, discount, discredit, disdain, flout, gibe, jeer, knock, laugh at, make light of, mock, pan, poke fun at, pooh-pooh, rag, reject, revile, ridicule, scorn, show contempt, sneer, tease
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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation today, say something like:
“Many colleagues SCOFFED when Martin proposed rapid digitalization , but no one is laughing now that we’ve become market leader.”
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